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Loscoe State Opera
Touring
Friday 15 July 2011
Printable
EmailRaggle-taggle folk-punk with attitude is how Loscoe State Opera pitch themselves and if you want your folk with a bit of an edge this band¹s right up your street.
Their set incorporates traditional folk songs like Sir Patrick Spens with a twist as well as original compositions and their singer manages to sing at the same time as playing the penny whistle a la Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame.
Top marks for acrobatic difficulty.
Loud and rousing, the Opera play infectious dance music on box accordion, flute, violin, guitar and the penny whistle.
Theirs is a fast and furious assault on traditional tunes, but the references to contemporary political events are never far from the surface: "Government opposed must be – Pentrich voice is not alone," they insist on stand-out number Pentrich which feels like an an old favourite before it¹s finished.
They¹ve got a third album in the offing, but in the meantime this is a band to see live.
Get your dancing boots on, get angry about the way things are but mostly enjoy some really good music – you won¹t regret the money spent.
Loscoe State Opera play the Stainsby Festival, Chesterfield on July 23. Details: www.loscoestateopera.org
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